Ex and Current Activision Employees Sue for $500,000,000

Yea, thats half a million dollars, more money than I can imagine. Anyway here is the latest about this BS. I’ll let IGN explain… A group of active and former Infinity Ward members, calling themselves the ‘Infinity Ward Employee Group (IWEG),’ has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court today against Activision over alleged claims that the publisher still owes large sums of unpaid royalties and bonuses. A copy of the lawsuit, which was obtained by IGN, states a group of 38 Infinity Ward employees, both past and present, are still owed several large sums of bonus payments as a result of the sales of Modern Warfare 2. Activision allegedly breached its agreement regarding bonuses, and still owes the group between $40 million to $55 million in fourth quarter 2009 payments, between $30 million to $45 million in first quarter 2010 payments.

The suit states Activision has already payed upwards of $28 million in owed bonuses, but purposely and knowingly withheld additional payments to force the team to complete Modern Warfare 3.

“Activision engaged in this inappropriate course of conduct in an attempt to force employees of Infinity Ward to continue to work at a job that many of them did not want just so Activision could force them to complete the development, production and delivery of Modern Warfare 3,” it says.

“In short, Activision withheld the property of the Infinity Ward Employee Group in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3.”

The group is seeking compensatory damages between $75 to $125 million dollars, and punitive damages between $75 and $500 million, as well as additional damages.

“Activision believes the action is without merit,” the company said in a statement given to IGN. “Activision retains the discretion to determine the amount and the schedule of bonus payments for MW2 and has acted consistent with its rights and the law at all times. We look forward to getting judicial confirmation that our position is right.”